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Here it is! A revamped FAQ. Chelc felt that the damn thing got a little too outdated, so I've taken the liberty to update it with a few new Q&As. Also fixed/rewrote/removed/added a few stuff to some answers for clarification that were originally done by Chris (Grumpy Old Man) and all those other people that sent in questions that became quite overdue for an update or two. Granted, it didn't need a COMPLETE overhaul, so I left some things as-is.

If you have any significant and/or stupid questions to add that have been asked repeatedly, feel free to message me or leave a post. If I somehow remember some, I'll add in some more.

Anything relating to the PUSA dub or its airing schedule would be greatly appreciated since I no longer get CN nor do I follow the dub anymore.

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Q: Do levels exist in the anime?

A: Absolutely not. Considering the fact that this is a TELEVISION show and not a video game (nor a parody of one), having numerical levels would just be plain silly. Especially when such a thing is contradicted in the show TIME AND TIME again. The anime has to be different and more realistic compared to the games. Levels in terms of experience do exist, but not a set level like in the games.

Note: Numerical levels WERE mentioned in episode 9 of the original series, "The School of Hard Knocks". However, the episode aired over ten years ago. Originally, the anime was planned to end after an 80-episode run. Due to its popularity, they decided to extend its run and retconned the idea of levels, since we can't have Pikachu murdering every Pokemon it comes into contact with in newer episodes, can we?

Q: Will there be a 5th generation?

A: This question has been asked to death, I'm pretty much sick of it. OF COURSE there'll be a 5th generation. Pokemon is one of Nintendo's biggest cash cows. The initial sales upon the release of the Diamond and Pearl games in Japan speak for themselves. Does the anime LOOK like it'll be ending any time soon? Absolutely not. It's been the same as it always was, just with newer things tacked onto it. Not to mention, a 5th generation has already been confirmed.

So for the love of God, PLEASE STOP ASKING.

Q: Who is Ash's Father?

A: No one truly knows, really.

He was mentioned, along with Ash's grandfather (Japan only) in the second episode of the original series. That was the first and last time he's mentioned in the show. There's absolutely no solid evidence to back up all the crazy crack theories and until the writers decide to reveal the identity of this mystery man (or mystery men, but no one really cares about Ash's grandfather, right? :P), we'll never know who he REALLY is. We know that he's a Pokemon Trainer, that's for certain. The way his mother talks about his alleged relatives in the Japanese version implies that being a Pokemon Trainer runs in the family. Other than that, we know zilch.

Novelizations of the anime by Takeshi Shudou (one of the writers for the original series) says that Ash's father is merely a wandering trainer of sorts, or something to that extent (although, whether or not these should be considered "canon" is debated among fans). In a recent interview with Masamitsu Hidaka, a storyboard artist for the anime, the above is confirmed and is very much true - Ash's father and grandfather are trainers. Not to mention, Ash's father is very much human.

Q: Ash's father is Giovanni!

A: Wrong. Any evidence of that was hurled away when Giovanni was told of a boy named Ash was with a few humans and Pokémon during the Mewtwo TV special. No reaction to that was set off by Giovanni. Nor is there any real evidence pointing to that.

Q: Ash's father is Ho-Oh!

A: This is by far the most ridiculous one I've heard. If we put away the fact that we know that Ash's father is human, there's not one drop of evidence proving that a Pokémon cross-breeded with a human to give birth to Ash. Ho-Oh only reveals itself to trainers it believes are worthy and have a good heart to see it. Ash has proved that he has those qualities, hence why he's seen Ho-Oh a few times.

Q: Why does Ash keep giving away his Pokémon?!

A: Defining the term 'giving away', he has to give up a Pokémon to someone. Giving them complete ownership for nothing in return. He has only given away ONE Pokémon and that was Beedrill. Butterfree wanted to mate, so Ash let Butterfree go on to have children. Haunter was never his to begin with since he never captured it in a Pokéball. Pidgeot is in Viridian Forest, protecting a group of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from Spearow and Fearow until they can fend for themselves. Lapras was promised that it'd be returned to its family because it was only a baby. Charizard STILL belongs to Ash, it's just training in the Charizard Valley. Same goes for Primeape in the P-1 Championship town. Squirtle is under the care of Officer Jenny but still belongs to Ash. He could just arrange a time for them to join up and there ya go. Bulbasaur is keeping the peace between the Grass and Water Pokémon at Oak's lab, Ash is able to have it join him for a while whenever he'd like. Larvitar was given back to its mother, rather than "given away". And Aipom was traded away for Dawn's Buizel.

As you see, only one of his Pokémon was given away, and it was as forgettable as a Pokemon can get on a main character's team.

If you count Haunter (would be fair, since most people widely consider Larvitar to be Ash's Pokemon despite not capturing it with a Pokéball), then it's two. So much, isn't it? I think I'm going to die.

Q: Did Ash's Butterfree die in the Japanese version?

A: No. The idea that Butterfree die after they mate is a mistranslation. Unfortunately, some people don't realized this. Butterfree is alive and well as shown in the tenth Japanese opening "Spurt!", and can return to the show if the writers feel like it.

Q: OMG I heard Ash and Misty kiss in the last episode!! Is that true?!

A: No. The show is STILL going in Japan and no one knows when it's going to end. Misty is all the way in the Kanto region and Ash is all the way in the Sinnoh region. Ash has NO interest in romance. He thinks of her as a best friend. Same goes with her. If he was interested in having a relationship with her, he'd have said something before they split apart in Kanto. So keep the shipping in fanfics because Ash has no interests in love for anything other than Pokémon.

Q: But there are avatars on the board of him kissing Misty and about to kiss May!

A: Those were edited screenshots to make PokéShippers and AdvanceShippers happy. Note that the avatars have them wearing clothes that are outdated compared to what they're wearing in the newer episodes.

Q: How about Dawn?

A: Absolutely not.

Q: Why does the anime reuse plots? Almost every episode is the same!

A: Pokemon is an episodic anime - it has a specific formula to it.

In this case, Ash and company are traveling -> meets character of the day with a problem -> Team Rocket steals Pokemon -> Team Rocket blasts off -> problem is solved.

While I agree it gets tedious, we must remember that this is a kids show. As long as they see their favorite cool/cute monsters doing their thing in the episode, most kids wouldn't have a problem with it. Also remember, it's a kids show (didn't I already say that?). You aren't obligated to watch it.

Q: OMG Why doesn't Ash evolve Pikachu?! I hate that thing!

A: You hate it, Ash doesn't. Pikachu has shown, on multiple occasions, that it doesn't want to evolve and can get the job done at its current form. Ash isn't a douchebag that would evolve his Pokemon against their will.

Q: Ash is n00b! he doesn't capture all the pokemon he sees!!11 he can't be a pkmn master!

A: Capturing all the Pokemon in the world isn't required to become a "Pokemon Master", not to mention IMPOSSIBLE in the anime's realistic view of things. Ash has enough dead weight back at Oak's lab. He doesn't need any more.

The definition of a "Pokemon Master" is VERY vague in the anime. Is it about the way you treat your Pokemon? Is it about your approach to battling? Looking at Ash's approach to capturing Pokemon, I'd say "Gotta catch em' all!" is NOT included.

Q: Is Celebi in the GS Ball?! What happened to it?!

A: Lots of people get this confused with the Crystal version GS Ball. While it was confirmed that the writers originally planned for the GS Ball to contain Celebi, they dropped that plot idea in favor of the 4th movie. In the end, the GS Ball in the anime was merely a ploy to give Ash more of a reason to go to the Orange Islands. The ball was pretty much an early-advertisement for Gold and Silver. Celebi is not in the GS Ball, considering it's proven it's not bound in any ball. The ball remains in Kurt's possession and has been long forgotten.

Q: What happened to Ash's Hoenn Pokemon? Why'd he go to Sinnoh with just Pikachu and Aipom? Sceptile and Swellow were the ****!

A: Back in Hoenn, all of Ash's Johto Pokemon were left behind at Prof. Oak's lab. He wanted to go to the Hoenn region with a fresh start, taking only Pikachu with him. He vowed he was only going to use Pokemon from the Hoenn region when he got there, so it was foolish to expect him to bring in any Kanto or Johto Pokemon to stay in his team.

It's basically just a repeat of what he wanted to do when he was going to Hoenn: To start off fresh. Only this time, Aipom was an illegal immigrant a stoleaway and entered Ash's team without his prior consent.

Better get used to it. The writers are most likely going to reuse this plot device in newer generations to come.

Q: Will Misty ever come back?

A: She joins the group in Hoenn for two episodes of Advanced Generation and heads back to Kanto. She has a few cameo appearances and is mentioned during Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl, but has no lines and is still in Kanto.

She's there. She'll come back. She'll ALWAYS come back. Just not part of the main cast, because there are much more important characters the writers would rather be focusing on right now, sadly (please, don't mention Brock).

Not to mention, she has a GYM to take care of. Leaving it to die in the hands of her incompetent sisters would only show her incompetence, which would be a complete jumpshark of her character development.

Q: How many episodes are there?

A: Since Japan has no such thing as seasons, the whole thing is made up of three series'. Pocket Monsters (which includes Kanto, Orange Islands and Johto), Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation (which is the Hoenn region, and Battle Frontier) and Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl (which is the Shinou region). Pocket Monsters consists of 276 episodes in total (82 Kanto episodes, 35 Orange Islands episodes, and 157 Johto episodes). Advanced Generation consists of 196 episodes. There are currently 80+ episodes of Diamond & Pearl. There are a total of 22 TV Specials and 11 movies released, with a twelfth one on the way.

The number is always increasing - there's no real permanent answer here.

A: The anime tends to border from realistic and exaggeration. Say Pikachu blasts a Rock-type with an Electric attack. By game standards, most Rock-types carry the Ground-type with them as a second type. Making them invulnerable to the attacks. The anime doesn't follow this that much since it tries to give it a realistic sense. Though they goof up a good amount of times by making them work and then not work, though it could be depending on the strength of the Pokémon as well that determines if it'll hurt it or not.

Q: ASH IS AN IDIOT! WHY HASN'T HE CAUGHT ANY LEGENDARY POKEMON?

A: Oh sure, have him breeze through the new region even faster than if he kept his older Pokémon with him. Legendary Pokémon are NOT meant to be captured or else things will be thrown out of balance or they're simply too powerful to be caught. The first three Legendary Birds for example. If one's caught, the others will try to take over the other's territory and fight over it. Entei, Raikou and Suicune were created by Ho-Oh to watch over the Pokémon of the Johto region while it soars over the Kanto region. If something were to happen to them, they wouldn't be able to protect the Pokémon they watch over. Celebi is the protector of time and the forest, it can have harmful effects if captured. Latios' power was abused when it was being used. Causing mayhem and being uncontrollable. Groudon and Kyogre are simply NOT supposed to wake up. If they do, the world will literally be destroyed from Groudon causing earthquakes and volcanoes rising and causing an eternal heat wave while Kyogre would flood the planet and cause typhoons and tsunamis. Needless to say, their power is destructive if used improperly and they're far too powerful.

There have only been two people that were shown to be able to control legendary Pokemon "traditionally" in the anime, Noland of the Battle Factory and Brandon of the Battle Pyramid. However, Articuno merely BEFRIENDED Brandon and the Regis were rather downplayed from their legendary status in the anime.

Q: How come certain Pokémon evolve differently than in the games?

A: Evolution is a weird thing.

There's Slowpoke, who in the anime, evolves according to its in-game Pokédex entries rather than getting stronger or through "trade" (the latter which would make no sense in the anime). Then we have Magnemite and Diglett. Rather than evolving according to their dex entries (3 Magnemite = 1 Magneton, and so on), they evolve through a similar process as they actually do in the games. Go figure.

The anime tries to be more realistic than the games. Sometimes it is indeed will power that causes Pokémon to evolve on their own. A certain episode from the Johto region taught us that the winds can carry tiny shards of stones used to evolve certain Pokémon. It's a possibility that such a thing could happen if a wind picks up, like in the Exeggcute/Exeggutor episode in Kanto.

Q: Why does Ash and co stop Team Rocket when they're capturing wild Pokémon? It's public domain and Ash and co have no right to stop them from capturing them!- Credit for this goes to: Cless Aileron

A: The problem with this is that Team Rocket do it in an unlawful manner. They'll try to influence the Pokémon in the wrong ways. And if that fails, they'll do whatever illegal acts they can to capture a Pokémon. That's known as poaching Pokémon and is illegal in the Pokémon World.

Q: "Why did those Gym Leaders give Ash a badge? He didn't earn them through winning a battle, which is how he's suppose to earn them!"- Credit for this goes to: Cless Aileron

A: Not always does a trainer receive a badge just for battling. The Gym Leaders reward the trainers with the badge when they feel they've earned the right to have it. Not always does this involve a battle, as seen in the Orange Islands. Sure, Ash may have had a few lucky breaks, but he rightfully earned those badges. It's not like the Gym Leaders toss around badges to everyone, anyways.

Ash isn't shown to earn his badges through this method anymore in the newer seasons, so it isn't anything to complain about.

Q: Ash is such a newbie! Why is using weak moves or unevolved Pokémon or ones with type disadvantages?

A: *sigh* You don't know how much I hate saying this. The anime's proved it is NOT the game. The anime is much more flexible and no moves have a set amount of damage that they inflict. A small, usually unevolved, Pokémon would have a bigger advantage over much larger Pokémon since they'd be more manuverable and faster. Though if they're struck by that Pokémon, they could take some hefty damage. Regarding type disadvantages, it's not always like the games where the type with advantage would possibly win. It also depends on the experience the Pokémon have had and how well they've been trained. Good example would be how Charizard was able to take out Scizor, Golem and Blastoise in one match when Ash battled Gary.

Q: If Celebi isn't in the GS Ball, then how come it's inside the ball in Crystal version?

A: I truely am sick of this question. Time for an explanation because chances are, people who use this question to back their theories up haven't even tested it out. During the event for Crystal, when you bring the GS Ball over to the shrine, Celebi does NOT come out of it. Celebi becomes attracted to the reaction of the shrine and comes hovering down. Mind you, this was the video game. In no way do these events occur in the anime. It was a special event from NoJ to give players, with the cel phone adapters, a chance to capture Celebi. We've already seen Celebi TWICE (once in movie 4 and the other in a Hoso special) and not once was it anywhere near the GS Ball. Why would it even be in a ball that cannot be opened yet be free later on? So PLEASE, stop asking about the GS Ball and claiming the Celebi is inside it just because you haven't gotten the facts straight on the game events.

Q: How old is everyone?

A: Their current ages are not given. All we know is, Ash and Misty were 10 during their first appearance on the show (Kasumi's "This is the worst morning I've had in all my ten years of living!" in the Japanese version of EP003), as was May and Dawn.

Given the inconsistent timespan between one episode to the next, one region to the next... There's no evidence, we have no idea. All we have are theories, and they're just that. Theories. Nothing more.

Q: The show seems so childish in English! Pokemon is supposed to be for teens!

A: Oh please. The franchise has been aimed at all ages since the beginning. And in order for the show to be aimed for all ages, it must be suitable for all ages, no? Don't like it? Stop watching.

Granted, at times you might hear a word spoken in the Japanese version that would be translated into a "curse" word in our language, like kuso (which can take on multiple meanings, "sh*t, crap, darn, damn, etc."). Taking in the definition of a "curse word" (a word that is usually considered taboo within society), the Japanese have very little of them, making such a word suitable for a kid in Japan to hear, but not here. However, this does NOT make it "aimed at teenagers". They could easily use the lighter variation of a word during localization.

Whoever is giving you the impression that the Japanese version is filled with drugs, sex, and bloody violence... is pulling your leg, unfortunately for you. As far as I know, there's none of that.

A: OMG, *insert episode title* was skipped! DOES THAT MEAN IT WAS BANNED?! - credit for this goes to: EvilKeckleon

Q: Just because a station may have skipped an episode, doesn't mean the episode has been banned. Mistakes in scheduling happen, believe it or not.

Note that, if it has an English title, it'll air sooner or later. If it doesn't have an English title when the episode is nearing its supposed airdate, then it's probably banned.

Remember, the dubbers aren't uptight suits that would ban episodes on mere whims. They may have a script change, do a paint edit, or may cut a scene entirely, but they may only ban an episode as a last resort. Remember, this is a kids' show, they probably won't have many instances where they'd have to ban or chop up an episode in order for it to be able to get on the network.

Q:Which Pokemon episodes were banned?

A: Here's a list (episode name + reason(s) why it was banned).

Pocket Monsters EP018 Holiday at Aopuruko/Beauty and the Beach - Shows James with inflatable, rubber boobs (this episode aired only once after the ban was lifted).Pocket Monsters EP035 The Legend of Miniryuu - The warden directed his firearms at Ash and friends A LOT of a times, not to mention Team Rocket actually threatens their hostage with a gun, for once. Guns in Looney Tunes? The guns can actually do harm to people in this show. They can'tPocket Monsters EP038 Electric Soldier Porygon - Caused hundreds of Japanese children to have seizures. All tapes of this episodes were BURNED and is unavailable for purphase everywhere (aside from those bootlegged VCDs which could be found on Hong Kong venders on eBay). Pocket Monsters EP252 The Cave of Ice! - Shows the black-skinned Jynx.
*Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation AG101 Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash - "Postponed" due to sensitivity of being aired after a major earthquake in Japan, but in the end, was never aired. It was probably going to be your typical filler, anyway.

*Note: This episode is the true 101st AG episode. Due to this episode being banned, "Man of the Sea! The Elite Four's Drake Appears!!" is often seen as being as episode AG101.

Q: But aren't there more banned episodes..?

A: There are episodes that tend to be aired out of place or don't air as often as others. The episodes that prominently feature the black-skinned Jynx will never be aired in the English dub due to problems with people and Jynx. Tentacool and Tentacruel is NOT a banned episode either. It was just on hiatus during the 9/11 incident but airs whenever it can.

A clip show taking place during the adventures in Hoenn was aired in Japan. However, it wasn't banned, just skipped entirely because 4Kids felt it wasn't needed. No one like clip shows, right?

A: No. The reasonings have been discussed several times by everyone, but the real reason is because Jynx is the main Pokémon and is considered as taboo to be seen in the English dub of the anime. They couldn't cut her out, so they skipped the episode completely. All Brock caught was a bad cold since he was splashed with water in very cold weather. Parents warn their kids about it all the time.

A: Will there be any uncut DVDs including the banned episodes?

Q: Banned episodes such as the "Electric Soldier Porygon" can't be done due to legal complications.

4Kids once claimed they'd be putting all of their anime on uncut DVD. This was highly believed to be a lie on their part, seeing as how Al Kahn even stated in the same interview that he does not want the DVDs to be released at the same time of the cut/censored DVDs due to them possibly "competing against each other." However, seeing as they lost the license to Pokemon and died off from the anime industry all together some time ago, dropping most of their dubbing productions aside from the continuous dubbing of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, that promise will never be kept.

PUSA has released older episodes on boxsets. Because of their minimal visual edits, it was believed they'd cater to what the fans have wanted for a long time: Uncut DVDs. However, these boxsets ARE NOT uncut and DO NOT contain Japanese audio, despite what Amazon.com listings say.

Besides, if they started putting uncut episodes they have to end up grabbing the original Japanese episodes from episode 1 and up and would have to either dub or sub it. Considering right now with them having released boxsets of older episodes, and are almost done putting all the Kanto Battle Frontier on DVD and have started on Sinnoh, they won't be going back to the first episode to put the whole series uncut and unedited after having finished released all of it mostly in its originally TV aired form. That's just not a good move looking at things from a marketing point-of-view.

Just keep praying, be disappointed many times, and then hope that they'll eventually do. Or just give up entirely and save yourselves some trouble! (:

Q: What are the season names and where do they take place?

A: Unlike the dub, the Japanese version doesn't follow any "seasons" and continuously airs episodes every week on average. Some time at the beginning of Johto, the dub has developed the habit of changing the name of the show about every season (which is usually every 50 episodes or so), and usually goes into a short halt until they buy and dub the Japanese episodes.

A: This is something people like to debate about. It's simple to say that it's just an animal with a plant on its back. There's no way of identifying what kind of animal it represents, hence why it's name in Japan "Fushigidane" plays a role in this. Fushigidane is a play on the saying "Mysterious, isn't it?" or "Isn't is mysterious?"

Q: Ash's Pikachu is level *insert number here* because it was that level in GSC! I'm right, aren't I?!"

A: Such an overuse of bad logic, it gives me a headache.

The character you battle on Mt. Silver is RED, not ASH. If Game Freak wanted it to be Ash, wouldn't you think they would've named him... oh, I don't know, ASH? It's true that Ash is the anime's parallel of Red, being based off of him. Even so, the anime and the games take place in DIFFERENT universes, no matter how similar they are aesthetically. Overlapping them would make NO sense.

Q: I remember that the anime said that Arbok evolved into Seviper! ZOMG THE ANIME CREATORS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE GAMES!!11

A: Calm down, calm down.

That wasn't the first time 4Kids (the previous dubbers, not the creators) made a mistake in the anime before, nor was it the first time they goofed up the Trainer's Choice segments (claiming that one Pokemon is advantageous against another when it's clearly not). For some reason, fans like to use the "ARBOK EVOLVES INTO SEVIPER" goof-up as a reason to whine about the 4Kids dub more than others, and frankly, I'm tired of it. Yes, there's no valid reason for them to make that mistake, but do you honestly believe that these people actually PLAY the games? As long as they're cashing in on the Pokemon franchise, they don't give a rat's ***!

Of course, the same could be said about Pokemon USA, calling Ekans "Arbok" in their Mystery Dungeon: Go-Getters Out of The Gate! special, when they're supposedly responsible for localizing the games. Well, at least they have the balls to admit their mistake and fix it, rather than ignoring it all together like 4Kids did. Still doesn't excuse their mistake, though.

But let's put this all behind us, shall we?

Q: How come Brock's eyes are always closed?

A: They're not. Like Snorlax and Munchlax, his eyes are drawn as slits. They're not closed. He just has the stereotypical Asian eyes. It's for variety's sake considering nearly every character has their eyes wide open like Caucasians yet live in a Japanese-like world. And as we've seen in several episodes, his eyes do appear open from time to time (namely when being physically beaten).

Not to mention, some notable characters from other anime series also have this same facial feature, yet no one applies the real-world definition of "normal appearance" to them.

Q: I haven't watched the show in a long time! How come Ash and the other characters sound different?!

A: 4Kids chose not to renew the license the show anymore and sold off what they had to PUSA. There's heavy debate about the voice changes as to whether it was PUSA that did not contact 4Kids' cast members about dubbing the show or if it was 4Kids who refused to allow the older cast dub the show under a new dubbing license. Either way, the original cast was replaced for the most part by sound-alikes, most who have even worked on the show before as minor characters. There is no way of changing this as the decision was set in stone long ago. However, the new cast do visit this forum and are willing to listen to what fans have to say and are willing to take constructive criticism so that they may improve.

Quite recently, a few of the old voice actors have returned. Why, or how, they did despite what was previously said on their side of the argument, I don't know. Note that most of them won't get to reprise their previous roles, unfortunately.

A: Not at all. That's PokeSho, a Japanese fan art site that uses the same art style as the anime. It isn't that hard to tell apart the fan art there and actual screenshots/artwork from the show. And if you're gullible enough to believe that the pictures there are genuine, I feel really sorry for you.

Q: When do each of the movies take place in the anime?

A: While the first, *second, and eighth movies are confirmed to be part of the anime's canon, the other movies are not. They could simply be AU (Alternate Universe) movies that have no relation to the anime whatsoever, only existing as cash-ins to showcase things that aren't normally shown in the anime (much like the Dragon Ball franchise). This does not write off the possibility that some of them do, indeed, take place in the anime's timeline. The writers already give us small hints (what Pokemon a character has on their team, the premier date of the movie, what type of setting they're in, etc.). Basically, they're leaving it up to you to decide when the movies take place in the anime's timeline, since there's no official answer.

*This is going by the dub. I did not fully understand what was said in the Japanese version of the episode, so I'm not sure.

Q: Hey, were there any cuts in *enter episode/movie title here*?

A: Head over to http://dogasu.bulbagarden.net. Dogasu has a good chunk of info to check out involving cuts, censors, changes and whatnot involving episodes and movies, plus there's other stuff such as info on original names for attacks, locations, Pokémon and even articles. There's also a really handy DVD Guide there.

Q: *blah blah blah* is dub added!

A: Depends. Did you watch the original, got the gist of what they were saying, and noticed something inconsistent with the dub? Was it mentioned on Dogasu's Backpack? Of course, Dogasu is only human, he *can* make mistakes in his episode comparisons. There might be something he didn't catch. So maybe you're right, it might be dub added. But unless you've watched the original episode yourself and understand the Japanese language, you have no right in saying so because you're most likely wrong.

Q: Are they going to replace Ash in the next region?

A: No. If they were planning on replacing him, they would've done so at the beginning of Johto. When the main character of the games STOPPED being Red. After years of not doing so, I doubt they would replace Ash.

The anime has proven that it DOESN'T want to be a direct adaptation of the games. This became obvious the very second they decided not to show pivotal game locations such as the Silph Company.

Q: Is the Pink Butterfree a Shiny?

A: No.

It isn't colored the same way a Shiny Butterfree would be colored in the games. Just because it's an abnormal color DOESN'T mean it's a Shiny Pokemon. That would mean that the alternately colored Pokemon in the Orange Islands, being the way they are because of the climate and environment, are shiny Pokemon. Which they're not.

Welcome to the Pok&#233;mon Anim&#233; Discussion forum! Here you can discuss [upcoming] episodes, characters & interactions, pok&#233;mon teams, gym battles, contests, movies, music, seiyuus & voice actors, animation teams, and anything and everything that has to do with the show itself. There are some more things you need to know before posting, so please scroll down to read them!

MUST READS; IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, SUB-FORUMS, & STICKIED THREADS

Important AnnouncementsDifferentiating between Spoilers and Non-Spoilers (second post) → READ THIS AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE REST OF THE RULES! This cannot be stressed enough. If you still are unsure of what are spoilers and what aren't, PM me, and I'll help you understand the differences.Who wants to update the FAQ? 8D (first post) → The above FAQ is out-dated, and is in major need of updating. I don't have time to update it myself, but if no one is willing to do it, then I guess I'll have to do it. :P Even if you do not want to update it, and just feel like something should be added, then PM me about it. Thank you!

Sub-Forums & Their PurposeAnim&#233; Spoilers → Discuss and speculate on everything from the newest episodes and movies to the characters and their latest captures! The definition of spoiler (second post) is explained here.Anim&#233; Polls → Have something on your mind and want to see what other people think as well? Post your anim&#233; (general polls about pokemon themselves belong in Pok&#233;polls) polls here! Remember to read the rules and FAQ thread stickied at the top before posting a poll! Add a spoiler warning in the title if it contains spoilers.Episode Discussions → Feel like discussing a certain episode, movie, or special? This is the forum for you. Each episode/movie/special has its own discussion thread, and all are open for discussion any time. This is one of the only forums you will not be infracted for bumping threads.

Pok&#233;mon Anim&#233; Discussion - Important Stickied ThreadsPok&#233;mon Anim&#233; FAQ → You should have (hopefully) read this already. Frequently asked questions and answers regarding the show are posted here. As I said, this is in need of updating and anyone who is willing to take on the job would be a major help to me.List Of Banned Topics / Discuss Possible Topics To Be Banned → Another "must read before posting" topic. A list of topics compiled by randomspot555, as well as other members, that are not allowed to be discussed anywhere in this forum are included here.Single Anim&#233; Questions **READ BEFORE MAKING A THREAD** → This is [hopefully] the last "must read before posting" thread. A great idea by OBSESSED WITH PKNM! Instead of making a new thread for one question, simply ask your question here in this thread - you will get an answer much quicker than if you were to create a new thread.Japanese/English Reference Thread → Thanks to Sushi, everyone who has an interest in the Japanese names (as well as English) of characters, towns, attacks, and everything else, can see them here. New Dub Titles (Season 12) → Titles for the latest dub episodes will be posted here - remember to check back regularly!

1. All Serebii Forums Rules apply in this forum unless stated otherwise. If you have not read them already, do so after reading through the rest of this thread.

2. Read the Anim&#233; FAQ, Banned Topics, and Single Anim&#233; Questions threads before creating a thread and/or posting! Failure to do so will result in a three point infraction. Your question could have already been answered in those threads, or it could be banned. We want this forum to stay as nice and neat as it possibly can, yes? Plus, I don't think anyone wants a three point infraction - can't say I didn't warn you.

2a. If you continue to post threads that are banned or have been answered/can be answered in the FAQ/Single Question threads, you will be infracted six points for continuously disobeying the rules of a specific sub-forum. Again, you have been warned - there's no reason why this should happen, anyway.

3. This is a forum for the anim&#233; only, not the video-games, manga, or even shippings. Discuss those in their appropriate forums, please.

4. Post spoilers in the spoiler forum! I feel like I've explained this about a hundred times already, but I'll explain it again. Read this announcement for more information. Again, if you need help understanding this, PM me - I don't want to have to give out a three point infraction for this.

5. This is also a discussion forum, meaning some people will have opinions that you may not agree with. Respect each other, please. Failure to do so will result in a three point infraction for flaming/insulting other people.

5a. Spam (Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages) will also not be tolerated. Like I said, this is a discussion forum - meaning you should have more than a couple words to say. 2-3 sentences per post(s) is all we ask. A warning will be given out for the first spam post, and if you continue to spam after that, a three point infraction will be given out.

6. If you are going to be posting episodes titles and summaries, remember to cite your source(s)! Not doing so will result in an infraction.

7. Do not mini-mod. Use the report button! It's there for a reason. Do yourself and the mods here a favor and report rule-breaking threads, and we'll get to them as soon as we can.

8. Character bashing is not allowed. Sure, go ahead and hate Dawn or Piplup (or x-character/pok&#233;mon) as much as you want, but keep it to yourself. This is not the place to post it. It's rude, and believe it or not, some people may happen to like that particular character or pok&#233;mon. A three point infraction will be given out to users who character bash.

9. You should at least know what’s going on in the anim&#233; up until the latest dub episodes when posting here. You don't have to know everything but if you haven't watched in forever, you really should read the character bios and episode summaries on SPP before posting your opinion on a specific topic unless you are posting in the Episode Discussion forum.

10. DO NOT POST RUMORS! Meaning, "Misty will return in this episode!" and "Ash is going to catch this pok&#233;mon in this episode!" aka, things that have not been confirmed yet. Only post news if it is real and has been confirmed.

11. Do not ask for or post where you can watch/download episodes! It is against the forum rules as well, but sometimes you guys need to be reminded. Doing these will result in an infraction.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these rules/the FAQ, PM me or any of the other Pok&#233;mon Anim&#233; moderators and we’ll gladly answer your questions and help you out!

A: They're not. Like Snorlax and Munchlax, his eyes are drawn as slits. They're not closed. He just has the stereotypical Asian eyes. It's for variety's sake considering nearly every character has their eyes wide open like Caucasians yet live in a Japanese-like world. And as we've seen in several episodes, his eyes do appear open from time to time (namely when being physically beaten).

wow what a great guide, this FAQ actually had alot of useful answers, i read the whole thing, great!
but arent munchlax eyes open?

1)Munchlax's eyes are often drawn closed, so there may have been some confusion at the time this was written.
2)These rules/faqs are really, really out of date. Read these ones instead. Also, please don't post in non-sticky topics which have been inactive for over a month; it's against the rules.